This application claims priority to an application entitled xe2x80x9cStep Keys, Step Key Assembly, and Terminal Having the Step Key Assemblyxe2x80x9d filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on May 16, 2000 and assigned Serial No. 2000-25975, and to an application entitled xe2x80x9cStep Keys, Step Key Assembly, and Terminal Having the Step Key Assemblyxe2x80x9d filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Sep. 22, 2000 and assigned Serial No. 2000-55680, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a terminal, and in particular, to individual step keys that are pressed to enter data like characters or digits and a step key assembly having the individual step keys.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable terminals are classified into a bar type, a flip type, and a folder type according to their outer appearances. The flip-type and folder-type ones are more commonplace because they are-feasible for miniaturization of main bodies and protection of keys. In the case of a flip-type terminal, its flip acts as a sound reflecting plate and a microphone can be installed on the flip. In the case of a folder-type terminal, its folder acts as a sound reflecting plate and protects a plurality of keys, and an auxiliary device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) can be installed on the folder. In the future, in terms of performance and design, the terminals will be developed further toward small size and lightweight design, and customers will carry smaller and lighter terminals as accessories.
The terminal is necessarily provided with a data input device and a data output device to input and output information. A keypad having a plurality of keys that are pressed for entry of data is most widely used as the data input device. Aside from the keypad, data is input by touching a touch screen or by voice using a speech recognition device.
It is, however, well known that the keypad (or key assembly) occupies a large area on a main body, impeding miniaturization of the terminal. On the other hand, scaling down of individual keys in the keypad will cause a user inconvenience in pressing them and increase pressing errors. Therefore, miniaturization of terminals is incompatible with convenient user key pressing in the conventional technology.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide step keys and a step key assembly having step keys that are easy to press and feasible for miniaturization of a main body.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a terminal having a step key assembly that contributes to miniaturization of its main body and maximization of key size in order to offer a smaller terminal and more convenient key pressing to a user.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a terminal having a step key assembly that is readily assembled.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a terminal that enables a user to input data more conveniently.
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by providing step keys, a step key assembly, and a terminal having the step key assembly. An individual step key includes a first slope portion inclined at a first predetermined angle, a second slope portion inclined at a second predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the first slope portion, a recess having a first height and opened under the first slope portion in the forward direction of the step key, a protrusion having a second height lower than the first height and extended from under the second slope portion in the rear direction of the step key, and an extension extended from under the first and second slope portions.
The key assembly includes a plurality of step keys and a film. Each includes a first slope portion inclined at a first predetermined angle, a second slope portion inclined at a second predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the first slope portion, a recess having a first height and formed under the first slope portion in the forward direction of the step key, a protrusion having a second height lower than the first height and extended from under the second slope portion in the rear direction of the step key, and an extension extended downward from the lower surface of the step key. The film has a plurality of holes at predetermined positions for holding the step keys and a protrusion in a predetermined position, for pressing down a metal dome when the step keys are pressed down. Therefore, the individual step keys are integrally arranged in contact with each other with the protrusions of the step keys inserted into the recesses of the respective adjacent step keys thereof on the film.
In the terminal, a main body has support frames integrally arranged in parallel in a transverse direction. A plurality of step keys are arranged in rows and columns, the rows of the step keys are separated from each other, and the top ends of the step keys are exposed between the support frames from the main body. A film has a plurality of holes at predetermined positions for holding the step keys and a protrusion at a predetermined position, for pressing down a metal dome when a step key is pressed down. Therefore, the step keys are integrally arranged with the protrusions of the steps keys inserted into the recesses of the respective adjacent step keys on the film.